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≡ ATHLETES OF THE YEAR ≡
World Athletics announced its two finalists in its six categories for Athlete of the Year, with fan voting open through Sunday, 10 November; click here for a link to vote.
The nominees:
Men’s track athlete of the year:
● Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR): Olympic 5000 m champion
● Letsile Tebogo (BOT): Olympic 200 m champion
On the track, Ingebrigtsen ran in 13 events and won 10, including the Olympic 5,000 m. He ended the season as the world leader in the 1,500 m (3:26.73, no. 4 all-time) and 3,000 m (amazing world record of 7:17.55). Tebogo won seven of nine meets in the 200 in 2024 and had the world-leading mark at 19.46 to win in Paris. He’s no. 5 all-time. Tebogo ran seven times in the 100 m, winning twice and finishing sixth in the Paris final with a lifetime best of 9.86.
Women’s track athlete of the year:
● Julien Alfred (LCA): Olympic 100 m champion
● Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA): Olympic 400 m hurdles champion
Alfred won all of her three meets in the indoor 60 m, including the World Indoor gold, then won four of seven meets in the 100 m and two of four outdoors at 200 m, including the Olympic silver. She ranked no. 2 in the world for 2024 in the 100 at 10.72 and no. 3 in the 200 m at 21.86. McLaughlin-Levrone ran only nine events in 2024, but won them all: 3/3 in the 200, 2/2 in the 400, 1/1 in the 100 m hurdles and 3/3 in the 400 m hurdles, including world records at the U.S. Olympic Trials (50.65) and at the Olympic Games (50.37). She also ran on the winning U.S. 4×400 m relay in Paris.
Men’s field athlete of the year:
● Mondo Duplantis (SWE): Olympic pole vault champion
● Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE): Olympic long jump champion
Duplantis was everywhere in 2024, competing in 15 meets and winning them all, including the World Indoor, European outdoor and a second Olympic gold. He set world records of 6.24 m (20-5 1/2), 6.25 m (20-6) and 6.26 m (20-6 1/2). And he won a much-hyped match race in Zurich against Norway’s Karsten Warholm, running 10.37 for 100 m. Tentoglou also competed 15 times in 2024, winning 12 and defended his Tokyo Olympic gold. He was the world leader in 2024 with his European Championships winner of 8.65 m (28-4 1/2) in June, now no. 13 all-time.
Women’s field athlete of the year:
● Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR): Olympic high jump champion
● Nafi Thiam (BEL): Olympic heptathlon champion
Mahuchikh competed seven times outdoors, winning each time and taking the European title and Olympic gold in Paris. She set the world record of 2.10 m (6-10 3/4) at the Paris Diamond League meet in July and won five Diamond League titles during the season. Thiam won her third straight Olympic heptathlon title in Paris, scoring 6,880 to be the world leader in the event for 2024. She only competed in two heps, taking the European title in June and the Olympic win in August.
Men’s out-of-stadium athlete of the year:
● Brian Pintado (ECU): Olympic 20km Walk champion
● Tamirat Tola (ETH): Olympic marathon champion
Pintado competed five times, winning twice, but one was the Olympic gold in Paris in 1:18:55. His best time of 1:17:54 ranked him 11th on the year. Tola, the 2022 World Champion in the marathon, ran only his 10th-fastest marathon ever in Paris, but won in 2:06:26. He finished fourth in the New York City Marathon (2:08:12) in November.
Women’s out-of-stadium athlete of the year:
● Ruth Chepngetich (KEN): world marathon record-holder
● Sifan Hassan (NED): Olympic marathon champion
Chepngetich, the 2019 World Champion in the marathon, ran three times in 2024: ninth in London in April, won a Half in Buenos Aires in August and smashed the world record with a barrier-shattering 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October, for her third win in that race. The amazing Hassan followed up her 5,000-10,000 m Olympic gold double in Tokyo with bronzes in both events in Paris, then won the Olympic marathon in 2:22:55. She had earlier finished fourth in the Tokyo Marathon in March in 2:18:05, ranking no. 13 on the world list for 2024.
The Athletes of the Year in each category, as well as the overall winner, will be revealed at a ceremony in Monaco on Sunday, 1 December as part of the World Athletics Awards 2024.
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